Balance-escapement



(No Model.) 2 Sheets--Sheet 1. P. H. VOIGT.

BALANCE ESGAPEMENT.

No. 594,446. Patented Nov. 30,1897.

WITNESSES:

ATTORNEY (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

F. H. VOIGT.

BALANCE ESOAPEMENT.

No. 594,446 Patented Nov. 30,1897.

/ wmuasszs: W (e3 @Q ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES PATENT QEEICE.

FREDERICK H. VOIGT, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

BALANCE-ESCAPEM ENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 594,446, dated November 30, 1897.

Application filed June 16, 1896. Serial No. 595,737. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK H. V'orer, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Escapements for Watches, Clocks, and other 'limepieces,wl1ich improvement is fully set forth in the following specification and accompanying drawings.

My invention consists of novel improvements in an escapenient for watches, clocks, and other timepieces in which the construction is simplified, the action rendered more positive, and the friction reduced to a minimum, all as will be hereinafter set forth, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

Figure 1 represents a plan view of an escapement for watches, clocks, &c., embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a plan View similar to Fig. 1, showing certain of the parts in a different position. Fig. 3 represents a side elevation of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 represents a side View of the escapement, showing the relative position of the unlockingpins to the hub of the balance. Fig. 5 represents a side elevation of my improvement applied to watches, &c. Fig. 6 represents a side elevation of a clock-escapement, showing the position the parts assume when the short unlocking-pin is directly above the deflected finger of the lever-fork. Fig. 7 represents the position the parts assume when the balance is turned to its extreme point of vibration, showing one of the unlocking-pins contacting with one of the fingers of the lever-fork, whereby overswinging is prevented. Fig. 8 represents a side view of the lever of the watclrescapement. Fig. 9 represents an end View of Fig. 8, looking toward the front of the lever-fork. Fig. 10 represents a side elevation of a modification. Fig. 11 represents an end View of Fig. 10. Fig. 12 represents a perspective View of an engaging collet employed. Fig. 13 represents a plan view of an escapement suitably arranged for watches and showing a pallet extending over one more tooth.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

Referring to the drawings, A designates an escape-wheel, the same being mounted on the staff of the pinion B and provided with teeth 0, which are adapted to be engaged at the proper intervals by the faces D and E of the pallet F, which is mounted on the staff G.

H designates a lever which is also mounted on the staff G, so that said staff, pallet, and lever oscillate or are actuated in unison, the movement of said lever in either direction being limited by the guidepins J and K and the fork and nose having a'limited amount of play between their parts in connection, so as to avoid friction.

L designates a fork 011 the end of the lever, the same consisting of the fingers M and N, the latter finger having an offset port-ion P, whereby the extremity of said finger is deflected from the plane of the lever and the finger M.

Q designates an engaging pin which is attached to the balance-hub B, said pin Q being deflected, so as to readily engage at the proper intervals with the finger N of the lever-fork L.

T designates a straight engaging pin which is attached to the hub R and is adapted to contact at the proper intervals with the finger M.

U designates a balance-wheel which is mounted on the staff S, the latter carrying also the impulse-pallet V, which is provided with a nose XV, which contacts at the proper intervals with the teeth of the escape-wheel, as is evident.

X designates a longitudinally-extending notch or recess in the balance-staff S, which is adapted to be engaged by the nose Y,which projects from the lever-fork L and is in the present instance intermediate the fingers M and N. a

Z designates a lever which is mounted on the staff Z and having a fork which designates the form as being used in watches, said fork consisting of the fingers O and D and the nose E, which is adapted to be engaged by a suitable notch or recess in the balancestaff A, which latter is provided with the impulse-pallet B, which corresponds to the impulse-pallet V already described. In Fig.

10 I show a collet which consist-s of a sleeve 0 from which project the teeth D said sleeve being fitted on the staff A, as indicated in Fig. 10.

In Figs. 8 and 9 the lever Z is shown detached, the relative position of the parts being more clearly seen.

The operation is as follows: Referring to Fig. 2, the parts are shown in the position they assume when the balance is in motion, and the engaging pin T has reached the point when the lever has been turned far enough to one side to liberate the inner pallet-face D from the contact of one of the teeth of the escape-wheel A. After the nose of the impulse pallet has passed the escape -wheel tooth the escape-wheel is released and will stand forward by the energy of the main spring and strike against the impulse-pallet face and will keep in contact with the same until it has reached the intersection of the path defined by their circles, when it becomes locked by the outerpallet-face. The balance continuing its full vibration or oscillation it will return by means of the hair-spring, and the next contact for the purpose of releasing the escape-wheel is illustrated in Fig. 1, in which is shown the point where the engaging pin Q comes in contact with. the finger N of the lever-fork. The balance turning in the direction of the arrow will cause the engaging pin Q, to rock the fork on the staff G, and consequently cause the nose Y to enter the recess or notch X, thereby moving it to the other side of the balance-staff. In the above motion the escape-wheel will be liberated by means of the inner side of the notch X. In this latter vibration the balance does not receive an impulse. It only changes the rest on pallet-faces from the enter to the inner,

by which the escape-wheel will only make a very small motion forward. After this the balance will continue its vibrations or oscillations, and in returning the same action as described before will take place, the movement of the balance being thus continuous.

The pallet-faces are made circular, which permits a very easy unlocking and little or no friction.

In Fig. 13 the balance-center and part of the staff is broken off, showing it from the top of the impulse-arm, the reason for having the pallet extending over one more teeth, as is shown in this figure, being in order to advance the unlocking of said parts for the purpose of having a timepiece start at the smallest part of vibration of the balancewheel when at the point of rest, it being understood that the escapement is not a selfstarting one, it requiring a small vibration of the balance before starting to run.

The relative positions of the lever fork, nose, and its adjuncts will be apparent from Figs. 1, i2, (3, and 7, it being understood the object of arranging the pin T, so that it will contact with the finger M, illustrated in Fig. 7, is in order to prevent overswinging; otherwise the nose Y will enter he notch again and will cause unlocking twice in one vibration, whereby the watch or clock will gain time, as is evident.

It will be seen that the engaging pins in the machine meet the lever-lingers in an acute angle at the center of the balance and lever and finish in an obtuse one. The pins slide along the inner face of the linger toward the end, gradually moving the lever sidewise and causing the nose to enter into the balance-notch, after which said action said notch will carry the lever sidewise and will thereby cause the escape-wheel to be liberated.

My invention has the great advantage of combining a direct impulse to the balance arm with actuating the lever-nose to pass through a very small circle described. by the balance-staff, which result I obtain by delleeting one of the lever-fingers. The deflecting of the finger has for its purpose to allow the pin or arm to pass when reaching the other linger. As a result, when the pin has pushed one finger sidewise from the staff the other finger will come nearer to the stall and its end will come just in the line of the unlock ing pin or arm, and as a balance will usually make a vibration of over one half-turn in one swing the balance will be stopped of its full vibration by striking with. the pin against the end of the other linger before it has linished its full course. Fig. 7 gives an idea how it would contact on the end of the linger, the latter figure showing the position when the opposite pin of the one which has last completed the unlocking has reached the end of one of the lingers and in this case the balance has described nearly a full rmrolution; but such an unusual motion derives mostly from a violent shock or swinging of the watch, and in such case the stop is arranged to pre vent it from overswinging.

In Fig. 13, II designates the balance; ii, the impulse-pallet; C, the eollet; it, the upper engaging arm; D the lower engaging arm; A, the balance-stafif; C, he upper lever-linger; D, the lower lever-linger; E, the lever-nose; Z, the lever-stall; Z, the lever; F the pallet; T, the guide-pins; I the escape-wheel, and Ii the escape-wheel. pinion.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters'P-atent, is-

1. An cscapement-wheel, a lever with a forked end having one of its members out of the plane of the body of the lever and the other member, a pallet on the staff of said l.e ver with faces engaged by the teeth of the es capement-wheel, a balance-wheel with pins on its hub adapted. to contact with the n1embers of said forked end of the lever, and a projecting nose on said forked end adapted to engage in a longitudinally-extending slot in the staff of said balance-wheel.

2. An escapement-wheel, a lever with a forked end having the ends of its members in different planes, and provided with a projectin g nose, a pallet connected with the stalf of said lever and having faces engaged by the teeth of said eseapement-whcel, stops for said lever, a balance-wheel. with pins on its hub contacting with said members, one of said pins being deflected and an impulsepallet 011 said balance-Wheel staif, said projecting nose of the lever engaging in a longitudinally-extended slot in the staff of said balance-Wheel.

3. An escapexnent-Wheel, a lever with a forked end, having the ends of its members in different planes, and provided With a projecting nose, a pallet connected with the staff of said lever, and having faces engaged by the teeth of said escapeinentwheeh'a balancewheel having a staff, a collet supported on said staff and having teeth or projections extending therefrom, and adapted to cont-act with the extremities of said lever, and an impulse-pallet on said balance-wheel staff, said nose being adapted to engage a longitudinally-extending slot in the staff of said balance-wheel.

FREDERICK H. VOIGT. Witnesses:

JOHN A. WIEDERsHEIM, E. HAYWARD FAIRBANKS. 

